Does our feedback matter one bit to Blizz Writers?

[pure.Wasted]

If they start to seriously eff up, the board of directors or Vivendi can easily vote any of their butts out of there.

Eff up? As far as I know, other than some vocal minorities on the web, everybody loves WOL. Most people don't take the time to separate gameplay and story, let alone presentation of story and actual plot, when basing their opinion of enjoyment of the game.

As far as I know, WOL was a major success, and HOTS is going to be another.

Also, they hold some responsibility to their customers. We pay for the game, we supply Bobby Kotick with his Oyster lunches. Metzen's tinted perscription glasses.
If they abuse that fact around, less people will buy their games.
You are pretty naive to think that they "don't have to listen to anyone" . They make a commercial product that depends on DEMAND for sales.

I'm naive? Remember WoW? Remember how it was supposed to have so many interesting stories (Emerald Dream, King Varian, Brann Bronzebeard, the war the Alliance and Horde were supposedly fighting) and not one of them actually made it into the game? Remember how TBC's story also sucked?

The fact that fans knew what to expect from TBC's story having played WoW didn't stop them from buying TBC in droves. Or WOTLK. Or Cataclysm.

You think that everybody holds games' stories up to standards like those to which we vocal minority hold them, that Blizzard has an obligation to meet these standards or else people will... what, boycott? And you're calling me naive.

[RussianSpy27]

Good point there, Wasted.

Why then are we doing all of this - all of this vocalization if you will, in hopes of helping them improve the story, if all has been set in stone?

Are we echoing Zeratul's line from WOL "The prophecy is uncertain, there is always hope"?

(Disclaimer: This post in the form of the semi-rhetorical and pessimistic question shall not in any way shape or form be meant as a counter-motivating factor for pure.Wasted's project on writing his version of WOL campaign)

[Duckyyy]

I think the main problem people have is that THEY built the game up to something it was never going to be, to me it feels starcrafty it feels good and the mechanics are epic, but then you get people who complain about the lore and the way its an anti climax, when the original starcraft came out most people only played for the single player and thats what sold a game, now its entirely different look at mw2 the campaign SUCKED i mean it was so far up movie directors arse it wasnt funny but look at the multiplayer best ever selling FPS solely down to the multiplayer now sadly starcraft is following the same footsteps its not the writers fault, but the general public. the time of epic single player campaigns that rival the stories are gone now its the time of mulitplayer and until the day you get people who arent buying games just to play custom maps or mods that will never change.

[Norfindel]

I mean the video I'm making, alone. That doesn't feature Raynor or Mengsk in it. But thanks.

And that's your excuse for not having the models!? LOL, Joke

[Freespace]

And that's your excuse for not having the models!? LOL, Joke

You caught me with my pants down, heheh

[Turalyon]

I think the main problem people have is that THEY built the game up to something it was never going to be, to me it feels starcrafty it feels good and the mechanics are epic, but then you get people who complain about the lore and the way its an anti climax, when the original starcraft came out most people only played for the single player and thats what sold a game, now its entirely different but look at the multiplayer best ever selling FPS solely down to the multiplayer now sadly starcraft is following the same footsteps its not the writers fault, but the general public. the time of epic single player campaigns that rival the stories are gone now its the time of mulitplayer and until the day you get people who arent buying games just to play custom maps or mods that will never change.

Couldn't say it any better myself.

I knew long ago that when SC2 was announced that the story was going to go balls-up but the rest was going to be spectacularrr.

The only reason why I bought WoL was more of a sick curiosity more than anything else. To me the story is like a slow-moving train-wreck. It's horrible to see yet I can't turn my eyes away and wonder what other crap will happen next.

I guess it doesn't help when I'm part of the problem by having double standards and buying their game.

[13thLegion]

The way to influence Blizzard is to create something and it sells like hotcakes.

[SinsWage]

Our feedback only affects them when they have energy.

[pure.Wasted]

the time of epic single player campaigns that rival the stories are gone now its the time of mulitplayer and until the day you get people who arent buying games just to play custom maps or mods that will never change.

Bioshock. Mass Effect. Fallout 3. Dragon Age. No multiplayer at all.

Heavy Rain may not have a good story, but it's the 'worst offender' in terms of emphasis on story. It has absolutely nothing else, no gameplay to speak of. The hype surrounding it also suggests that the industry is VERY open to single player games right now.

I don't think this is true at all.

[Louis]

You're using Fallout 3 as an example of epic singleplayer. Hey, I'm looking for my father, a middle aged man, maybe you've seen him?

WoL is shakespear compared to FO3.